How to Find the Right Phlebotomy Tech Training Program near Lewiston Utah
Choosing the right phlebotomy technician training near Lewiston UT is an important initial step toward a gratifying profession as a phlebotomist. It may seem like a daunting undertaking to investigate and compare all of the school alternatives that are available to you. However it’s vital that you do your due diligence to ensure that you get a quality education. In fact, a large number of prospective students start the process by considering 2 of the qualifiers that first come to mind, which are cost and location. Yet another factor you may look into is whether to attend online classes or commute to an area campus. We’ll review a bit more about online schools later in this article. What you need to keep in mind is that there is much more to checking out phlebotomy training programs than locating the cheapest or the closest one. Other factors such as reputation and accreditation are also important considerations and must be part of your decision process too. To assist in that effort, we will furnish a list of questions that you should ask each of the phlebotomy schools you are reviewing to help you select the right one for you. But before we do that, let’s cover what a phlebotomist is and does, and afterwards resume our conversation about online training.
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Should You Go to School to Become a Phlebotomy Tech?
Right out of the gate, few people are likely to know what a phlebotomy tech or phlebotomist is. The basic answer is a health care professional who draws blood from patients. We will provide more details later. So of course anyone who chooses this profession must be comfortable with needles and blood. And if you are anxious in hospitals or other Lewiston UT medical facilities, well this profession probably is not right for you. And then there are the patients. Phlebotomy Techs tend to work around anxious people who hate needles or having their blood drawn. And because most health care facilities are open around the clock, you may be expected to work weekends, nights and, you guessed it even on holidays. But if you can handle the hours and the blood and needles, and if you enjoy interacting with people and are patient and compassionate, this may be the perfect profession for you.
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Phlebotomy Tech Job Summary
A phlebotomist, or phlebotomy tech, draws blood from patients. While that is their principal duty, there is actually so much more to their job description. Prior to drawing a blood sample, a phlebotomist needs to confirm that the tools being employed are single use only and sterile. Following the collection, the sample has to be correctly labeled with the patient’s data. Next, paperwork has to be correctly filled out in order to track the sample from the time of collection through the lab screening procedure. The phlebotomist then transports the blood to either an an outside lab facility or an in-house lab where it may be tested for such things as pregnancy, infectious diseases or blood type. Many phlebotomists in fact work in Lewiston UT labs and are accountable for ensuring that samples are analyzed correctly under the strictest quality assurance procedures. And if those weren’t enough duties, they might be called upon to train other phlebotomists in the collection, transport and follow-up process.
Where do Phlebotomy Techs Practice?
The quickest response is wherever they treat patients. Their work environments are many and varied, including Lewiston UT hospitals, medical clinics, long-term care facilities, or blood banks. They may be charged to collect blood samples from patients of all ages, from babies or young children to senior citizens. A number of phlebotomists, depending on their training and their practice, specialize in drawing samples from a certain kind of patient. For example, those practicing in an assisted living facility or nursing home would solely be collecting blood from elderly patients. If they are working in a maternity ward, they would be drawing blood from newborns and mothers solely. On the other hand, phlebotomists practicing in a general hospital setting would be collecting blood from a wide variety of patients and would work with different patients every day.
Phlebotomist Education, Certification and Licensing
There are essentially 2 types of programs that offer phlebotomy training, which are degree and certificate programs. The certificate program normally takes under a year to finish and furnishes a basic education along with the training on how to draw blood. It offers the quickest route to becoming a phlebotomy tech. An Associate of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, even though it’s not specifically a phlebotomy degree, will include training to become a phlebotomist. Offered at junior and community colleges, they normally take two years to complete. Bachelor’s Degrees are less accessible and as a four year program offer a more comprehensive foundation in lab sciences. Once you have completed your training, you will no doubt want to become certified. Although not required in the majority of states, a number of Lewiston UT employers require certification prior to hiring technicians. A few of the main certifying organizations include:
- National Phlebotomy Association
- National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
- American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
- American Medical Technologists (AMT)
There are some states that do call for certification prior to practicing as a phlebotomy tech, including California and Nevada. California and a handful of additional states even require licensing. So it’s important that you enroll in a phlebotomy training program that not only offers a quality education, but also preps you for any certification or licensing examinations that you are required or elect to take.
Phlebotomy Online Classes
To start with, let’s resolve one potential misconception. You can’t receive all of your phlebotomist training online. A substantial part of the program of studies will be clinical training and it will be performed either in an on-campus lab or an approved healthcare facility. Numerous courses also require completing an internship prior to graduation. But since the non-clinical portion of the training may be accessed online, it may be a more convenient alternative for some Lewiston UT students. As an additional benefit, a number of online colleges are less expensive than their on-campus counterparts. And some expenditures, including those for commuting or textbooks, may be minimized also. Just confirm that the online phlebotomist program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization (more on accreditation later). With both the extensive online and clinical training, you can obtain a superior education with this method of learning. If you are dedicated enough to learn at home, then earning your certificate or degree online might be the right choice for you.
Points to Ask Phlebotomy Colleges
Since you now have a basic understanding about what it takes to become a phlebotomy tech, it’s time to initiate your due diligence process. You may have already selected the kind of program you want to enroll in, whether it be for a certificate or a degree. As we mentioned earlier, the location of the college is significant if you will be commuting from Lewiston UT as well as the tuition expense. Perhaps you have opted to enroll in an accredited online phlebotomy school. Each of these decisions are an important part of the process for choosing a phlebotomy school or program. But they are not the sole considerations when making your decision. Below we have provided a few questions that you should ask about each of the colleges you are looking at prior to making your final selection.
Is the Phlebotomy Program Specific to Your State? As earlier discussed, each state has its own regulations for practicing as a phlebotomist. Several states require certification, while a few others mandate licensing. Every state has its own requirement regarding the minimum amount of clinical training completed before practicing as a phlebotomist. As a result, you may need to pass a State Board, certification or licensing exam. Therefore it’s extremely important to select a phlebotomy program that meets the state specific requirements for Utah or the state where you will be practicing and preps you for all examinations you may be required to take.
Is the College Accredited? The phlebotomist school and program you pick should be accredited by a respected national or regional accrediting organization, such as the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). There are several advantages to graduating from an accredited school in addition to a guarantee of a superior education. First, if your program is not accredited, you will not be able to sit for a certification examination administered by any of the earlier listed certifying agencies. Next, accreditation will help in getting loans or financial assistance, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Last, graduating from an accredited college can make you more desirable to prospective employers in the Lewiston UT job market.
What is the College’s Reputation? In many states there is minimal or no regulation of phlebotomy schools, so there are some that are not of the highest caliber. So in addition to accreditation, it’s essential to investigate the reputations of all colleges you are looking at. You can start by asking the schools for references from employers where they place their graduates as part of their job assistance program. You can screen online school rating and review services and solicit the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. You can even check with a few Lewiston UT clinics or hospitals that you might be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations. As a closing thought, you can check with the Utah school licensing authority and find out if any complaints have been submitted or if the colleges are in total compliance.
Is Plenty of Training Included? To begin with, check with the state regulator where you will be working to learn if there are any minimum requirements for the amount of training, both classroom and practical. As a minimum, any phlebotomist program that you are considering should furnish at least 40 hours of classroom training (most require 120) and 120 hours of practical training. Anything less than these minimums may indicate that the program is not comprehensive enough to provide sufficient training.
Are Internships Included? Find out from the schools you are considering if they have an internship program in partnership with local healthcare facilities. They are the ideal means to receive hands-on clinical training often not obtainable on campus. As an additional benefit, internships can help students develop contacts within the local Lewiston UT medical community. And they are a plus on resumes also.
Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting your first phlebotomist position will be a lot easier with the help of a job placement program. Find out if the schools you are looking at provide assistance and what their job placement rate is. If a college has a high rate, signifying they place most of their students in jobs, it’s an indication that the program has both an excellent reputation together with a large network of professional contacts within the Lewiston UT medical community.
Are Classes Offered to Fit Your Schedule? And last, it’s critical to verify that the ultimate school you select offers classes at times that will accommodate your active schedule. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while going to college. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Lewiston UT, check that they are available at those times. Also, if you can only attend part-time, make sure it is an option also. And if you have decided to attend online, with the clinical training requirement, make certain those hours can also be fulfilled within your schedule. And ask what the make-up policy is in case you have to miss any classes as a result of illness or emergencies.
How Long To Become A Phlebotomist Lewiston UT
Colleges For Phlebotomy Lewiston Utah
Making certain that you pick the ideal phlebotomy training is a critical first step toward your success in this fulfilling healthcare field. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that contribute toward the selection of a quality college. Phlebotomy training programs can be offered in a number of academic institutions, including junior or community colleges, vocational schools, and colleges and universities that offer a comprehensive range of programs in healthcare and medical sciences. Course offerings may differ slightly from state to state as every state has its own requirements when it pertains to phlebotomist training, licensing and certification. The most critical point is that you need to carefully evaluate and compare each program prior to making your final selection. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Colleges For Phlebotomy and to get more information regarding Training As A Phlebotomist. However, by asking the questions that we have provided, you will be able to fine tune your choices so that you can pick the best phlebotomist college for you. And with the proper education, you can realize your goal of becoming a phlebotomy technician in Lewiston UT.
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Lewiston, Utah
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.7 square miles (66.5 km²), of which, 25.6 square miles (66.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.43%) is water.
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Lewiston has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[3]
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,877 people, 531 households, and 446 families residing in the city. The population density was 73.4 people per square mile (28.3/km²). There were 558 housing units at an average density of 21.8 per square mile (8.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.67% White, 0.11% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 3.68% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.29% of the population.
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